The Chemical History of a Candle

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was born to the family of a poor blacksmith. At the age of 13 he was apprenticed to a bookbinder. With the owner s permission, he read and was inspired by Mrs. Marcet s book. Faraday started to attend public chemical lectures and, in 1812, a customer rewarded him with a ticket to Davy s lecture at the Royal Institution. Shortly afterward, Faraday sent a copy of the lecture notes he wrote out to Davy and requested to be employed as his assistant. Davy hired the young man and by 1820 Faraday had published his first paper. Throughout his career, Faraday joyfully acknowledged his debt to Mrs. Marcet and remained her correspondent and friend. Faraday took a course in elocution in 1818 and was a splendid lecturer.  

The Chemical History of the Candle was derived from Faraday s public lectures. The book was reprinted throughout the nineteenth century in many languages. In fact, the most recent reissue appears to be in 1993 (Cherokee Press, Atlanta). Here is Faraday s rationale presented in Lecture 1  

I propose to bring before you, in the course of these lectures The Chemical History of a Candle. There is no better, there is no more open door by which you can enter the study of natural philosophy than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle. There is not a law under which any part of this universe is governed which does not come into play, and is not touched upon, in these phenomena. I trust, therefore, I shall not disappoint you in choosing this for my subject rather than any newer topic, which could not be better, were it even so good. 

Delivered before a Jftbnilk AomTORT (U the Rotal iNBrrrirnOH if Qbk t Bsttaim during the Christmas nolidcti of IS61IUI. 

FIGURE 287. (a) Title page from Michael Faraday s Chemical History Of A Candle (the London edition was also published in 1861). The book was not written by Faraday but derived using notes from his public lectures at the Royal Institution. Faraday s interest in teaching chemistry to the public follows a 60-year strand through Mrs. Marcet from Humphrey Davy, (b) Collecting the invisible vapors of a candle. 

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M. Faraday, in W. Crooker, ed.. The Chemical History of a Candle, Viking Press, New York, 1960. 

In the nineteenth century, Humphry Davy (1778-1829) speculated that the luminosity of flames is caused by fhe production and ignition of solid particles of carbon as a resulf of the decomposition of a part of the gas. Jons Jakob Berzelius (1779-1848) is said to be the first to describe an ordinary candle flame as consisting of four disfincf zones. Davy s protege, Michael Faraday [9] (1791-1867) gave his Christmas lectures and accom-pan3ung demonstrations to a juvenile audience on "The Chemical History of a Candle" in 1848 and 1860. Around the turn of the century, modem combustion science was established based on the increased understanding of chemistry, physics, and thermodynamics. 

Earaday M., A Course of Six Lectures on the Chemical History of a Candle, Crookes, W., Ed., Harper Brothers, New York, 1861. 

T PURPOSE, in return for the honour you do us by coming to see what are our proceedings here, to bring before you, in the course of these lectures, the Chemical History of a Candle. I have taken this subject on a former occasion and were it left to my own will, I should prefer to repeat it almost every year—so abundant is the interest that attaches itself to the subject, so wonderful are the varieties of outlet which it offers into the various departments of philosophy. There is not a law under which any part of this... 

To return to our quiet philosophy. We shall not in future be deceived, therefore, by any changes that are produced in water. Water is the same everywhere, whether produced from the ocean or from the flame of the candle. Where, then, is this water which we get from a candle I must anticipate a little, and tell you. It evidently comes, as to part of it, from the candle but is it within the candle beforehand No. It is not in the candle and it is not in the air round about the candle which is necessary for its combustion. It is neither in one Dor the other, but it comes from their conjoint action, a part from the candle, a part from the air and this we have now to trace, so that we may understand thoroughly what is the chemical history of a candle when we have it burning on our table. How shall we get at this I myself know plenty of ways, but I want you to get at it from the association in your own minds of what I have already told you. 

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